Home Styling Before and After: What Styling Alone Can Do

I'm back with before and after pictures of another apartment in Jerusalem Estates.

Unlike my previous projects where I started on a clean canvas, here the apartment was already fully furnished. So what exactly are the before and after pictures all about? Let me show you how I got this short-term rental from "okay" to "gasp-worthy."

The dining area

The dining area was squashed into the corner, not anchored to anything. First I grounded the setting by centring the table and chairs on the middle wall. Once we brought in the gold clock, the light fixture and the table centrepiece, they created symmetry and eye focal points.

See how the right accessories go such a long way, giving the room the pop of colour it so badly needed.

Wallpaper is a plain-sailing way to modify any space. Abstract wallpaper on opposite walls adds instant warmth and charm.

And see how the curtains magically hide an entranceway to an adjacent apartment. (Coming to think of it — it hides it so well you can't see it, so you'll have to take my word.)

Pillow compositions take colour, texture and size into consideration to attain that welcoming, luxurious look.

What home styling actually means

This is what's termed home styling. You'll have noticed I didn't change or add any furniture pieces. All I did was add textiles, lighting, mouldings, accessories and accent colours — which give each room its own distinct personality.

The mamad

This is the all-too-infamous security room every apartment must have. It has various factors that make it difficult to work with: the unsightly wall unit, the extra circular wall holes, all of which must stay. But what about the odd window that starts halfway down the wall?

Here's my secret: I start the Roman shade from the ceiling, incorporated into a moulding encasement — I often add lighting too. That way the height and positioning of the window is obscured.

Again, notice how that pop of colour enhances a space.

The last room

Another sterile, boring room that beckoned for help. Incorporating the blue and patterned linen, shaded sheers, artwork and coordinating accessories takes this room from tame to — well — talked about.